Live Free: California Motorcycle Culture

September 24, 2016 through February 19, 2017

At the same time that Karl Benz was inventing the first automobile, Gottlieb Daimler was inventing the first motorcycle. Together, the automobile and motorcycle have grown up and changed over the years, but in this exhibit, the motorcycle will be getting all the glory it deserves.

Powerful, fast, dynamic, stylish, and with only two wheels. Motorcycles are admired by Californians from all different walks of life. From Harley Davidson to Honda, in this exhibit you will find the motorcycle that fits your lifestyle at the California Automobile Museum.

In California, motorcycles were particularly popular and with their own special sub-culture within the state. From good weather to electric vehicles, from outlaw to Hollywood, from the deserts to the coasts, motorcycles will always have a special place in California’s vehicular history.

Cars and Cameras! What could be better than combining two hobbies into one great photography workshop?
Join Canon Live Learning instructors Jim Rose and Dave Henry in a program designed to help you make great images of cars from all eras — from a 1886 Benz to modern day classics.
This workshop includes two sessions:
A prep and orientation session on Saturday April 21st from 4:00 to 5:30 pm to give you a walk-through and orientation of the Museum, and give you a chance to make your list of what you want to shoot
The shoot itself will take place the next morning, Sunday April 22nd, from 7:00 am to 10:00 am, before the Museum opens to the public. Chains and signage will be taken down, and tripods will be allowed!

Everyone knows summer is car show season, so come join us on Memorial Day as we kick off the summer and honor the servicemen and women who have served our country!
$2 Spectator admission benefitting local veterans organizations.
Our Memorial Day car show will take place on Monday, May 28th, 2018 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. All makes and models are welcome!
We will have music, a military color guard and national anthem, vendors, food available for purchase, and more! We will also be judging cars in several different categories, including best Corvette, Veteran-owned, and new this year, a kid’s judging category!
The registration fees for this show are as follows
Museum Members: $25 per car
General Public: $30 per car
Members save on all our car show, not to mention getting free Museum admission all year long, and more!
Admission to the Museum is free for all active duty military, retired veterans, and their families.
Schedule for the Day (subject to change)
7:30 am: Coffee and donuts available for purchase
8:00 am: Registration opens (for pre-registered participants and those registering at-the-gate)
9:00 am: Registration closes
12:00 pm: Judging concludes and winners are notified
1:30 pm: Food sales close and awards are presented
2:00 pm: Event ends

Crafting a Rebellion highlights the work of local custom legends: Harry Westergard, Dick Bertolucci, and Sam Barris of the Barris Brothers. This exhibit showcases customs and hot rods dating from the 1940s through the early 1960s with both the novice and enthusiast in mind. We’ll explain the work put in customs by comparing them with stock versions while explaining much of the terminology and design used in custom cars.
This special exhibit that will feature the amazing and often untold story of Sacramento’s custom cars. In addition to showcasing an amazing collection of rare and beautiful automobiles, the Museum will also bring the era and skills of these craftsmen to life. We will do this by displaying parts, tools, and photographs within the exhibit, as well as creating engaging programs. There will also be hands-on interactives within the display itself, plus demonstrations and special events throughout the timeframe of the exhibit.

Not many things are as awesome as local food, drinks, and classic cars, but free puppies & kittens are right up there! Our Neighbors at the Front Street Animal Shelter - City of Sacramento are giving away a free adoption with the purchase of a Savor, Sip, Road Trip! ticket just bring a printed copy of your ticket or receipt to the Front Street Animal shelter to redeem your free adoption! Offer valid through May 1st with a ticket.

The Capitol Pops Concert Band will kick off its 22nd season with a free, open to the public concert at 7 p.m. Friday, March 23, 2018, at the California Automobile Museum, 2200 Front St., in Sacramento. Under the baton of newly appointed Director Judith Steinle, CPCB will perform traditional pops favorites, including lively hits from years past and patriotic tunes. This will be the band's sixth annual performance at the downtown venue. The two-hour concert includes a 20-minute intermission. The open house and concert are being sponsored by the Roseville Automall. The California Automobile Museum will open to the public at 6 p.m. at no charge on March 23. Visitors are welcome to tour the museum, get detailed information from museum docents and visit the gift shop before attending the free CPCB concert. Refreshments will be available for purchase on-site.

This months car club is the Sacramento Area Miata Owners Association!
Our rotating Car Club Cavalcade exhibit brings a new set of cars to the Museum every month!
Members get in free! If you think you might want to come see the rotating exhibits a membership will save you money!

Savor, Sip, Road Trip! is our spring gala come eat and drink your way to supporting the California Automobile Museum! on top of the food and drink pairings, we will have a wall of wine, a raffle and a trunk-o-beers you can win to take home the flavor!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Orrick, we couldn't do this without them!

Who is ready to join us for Savor, Sip & Roadtrip with us on March 24!? We are cooking up some awesome pairings get your tickets now at https://www.calautomuseum.org/savor
Savor, Sip, Road Trip!
This event would not be possible without our awesome sponsor Hot Wood

Savor, Sip, Road Trip! is coming up on March 24! Check out some of the wineries and breweries attending! Sactown Union Brewery, Porchlight Brewing Co, Fountainhead Brewing Company, PRP Wine Corporate, and Carvalho Family Winery. Beers In Sac
Edit: We messed up and put had the wrong logo for Porchlight Brewing Co

With all this rain coming in we sure are happy to have this beautiful, and watertight, roof above our heads!
We love this photo of the building taken by AntiGravity Aerial Productions! They took aerial photos of the whole roof replacement for us. Stay tuned for more shots from them!

Get out of the rain this Saturday and join us for Story Time at The California Automobile Museum where we will read "Bertha Takes a Drive" AND start up and drive our 1886 Patent Benze and Drive it through the Museum!
March is also museum membership month! In honor of that, we are dropping the price of our kid's membership to only 20 dollars! Kids memberships include year-round entry for one kid (ages 5-12) and admission for an adult of their choice for an entire year + more!
That means entry to all of our family programs including every Story Time, the ever-changing Car Club Cavalcade- NorCal Nash, our popular monthly Downtown Sunday Drives and every special exhibit this year!
Use Code "Lugnuts" to get the discount or buy your kid a membership at Story Time at The California Automobile Museum!

We are going to be at The Classic Auto Show 2018 this year in LA!! If any of you are going to be in LA around March 2nd come check out the cars we will have in the show. There are a ton of Automotive personalities that will be featured!

We are excited to announce that we will be working with Play-Well TEKnologies to bring their exciting classes to the California Automobile Museum! Sign up now! This STEM-Based Automotive Lego Workshop is bound to fill up fast!
P.S. Our $25 dollar Kids Membership will save you five dollars on each of these workshops in addition to getting your kid and a parent into the Museum for FREE for regular admissions, Sunday Drives, Storytime & More!

Join us on Sunday, March 11th for two different STEM-based workshops based around everyone’s favorite building blocks!
Belt & Pulley Car Workshop (ages 5-7) 10:00 am to 11:30 am: How can we make our LEGO® cars go? Find out when we learn about transmissions and belt drives. Build your car then decorate, race across the room, or take it up Mount Doom, the steepest mountain in the land.
Gear Cars Workshop (ages 7-12)12:00 noon to 1:30 pm: How can we make our LEGO® cars go? Find out when we introduce you to transmissions and gears. Build a car that races across the room. Take it one step further with gear ratios, learn how to make the fastest car or the strongest car.
These workshops are $25 per child for the general public, $20 per child for Museum members. Want to save on all our great classes, and get into the Museum free all year long? Become a member now!